Some people wear face masks and others use handkerchiefs to protect themselves from coronavirus. Both of these prevent person to person transmission. But how do you prevent a virus in a country where only 59.5% of people have access to "at least basic sanitation". India's population density only adds to the problem, by making social isolation difficult, as cities are crowded and many residents live in close proximity, often in the same building or even in different parts of the city. NDTV estimates that in New Delhi alone, 420 people live in a single building, more than twice as many as in any other city in India.
Reports also suggest that people are running away from Indian hospitals due to poor hygiene. India's fight against the spread of the coronavirus is also plagued by a lack of clean water, which dismisses the opportunity to eliminate the virus through handwashing.
A report published last year by the WHO and UNICEF found that 3 billion people worldwide lacked soap and water to wash their hands in 2017. Another 700 million use unimproved or unhygienic toilet facilities.
Many organizations are attempting to fix this problem however. UNICEF is working with the Indian government to install hand washing stations in rural markets, schools and health centres. Another organization called ChildFund works in some of the world's poorest countries to provide poor children and their families with access to improved sanitation, including in India. Poor sanitation is the main cause of infant mortality and diarrhoea in developing countries. Although significant progress has been made in improving access and sanitation in India and other countries, many families still lack these facilities.
The government is making efforts for a Swacch Bharat, but more problems arise in the process of sanitation itself. According to the National Sanitation Commission, one person dies every day in India while cleaning sewers and septic tanks manually.
Doctors are also negatively affected. Many times they cannot treat a patient due to inadequate resources and not having personal protective equipment. Some even attempt to treat the patient without necessary measures to protect themselves. V.K. Madhavan, chief executive of WaterAid India made a public statement regarding it saying, I can't fathom why society doesn't care about the people doing our most essential work,
The coronavirus is a harsh reminder of how vulnerable India is to notoriously high levels of diseases. India's poor sanitation and public-health infrastructure leave a deep mark in the health of its citizens. We might narrowly escape this virus, but as the average of yearly disease outbreaks hits about 100, India needs to find a way to get better sanitation and air quality. Theres no question that this will be an enormous challenge, but we can win this struggle if we stand united and harness the solidarity and courage that so many are now demonstrating. Let us, finally, guarantee good health to all our people as a human right.
Image Courtesy of NPR